A 33-year-old engineer has sparked discussion online after opening up about regretting their decision to pursue civil engineering. In a candid Reddit post, the professional described years of work pressure, poor work-life balance and mounting mental exhaustion, saying they wished they had switched to the IT sector much earlier in their career.
The post resonated with many professionals, with some relating to the frustrations of the industry while others encouraged the engineer not to give up and instead explore different career paths within the field.
Engineer says civil engineering left them burnt out
In the Reddit post, the engineer said they initially worked at a construction site for a year before moving into Building Information Modelling (BIM), hoping it would offer a healthier work-life balance.
However, the transition did not bring the change they had expected.
"I wish I hadn't chosen civil engineering, or at least immediately switched to IT. I tried government job exams but couldn't make it," the user wrote.
Explaining their experience after moving into BIM, they added, "Later, switched to BIM, hoping for better work-life balance. But there is none. It's just that I have to do the same amount of work mentally, at one place, inside an air-conditioned office."
The engineer also said they work on international projects but felt the workplace culture remained demanding.
"I work on international projects. But, Thanks to Indian managers abroad, who have no life and keep working all the time and force others to do the same."
Despite the workload, the engineer said the financial rewards had not matched the effort and felt it might already be too late to change careers.
Check the post here:
Reddit users suggest alternative career paths
The post prompted a wave of responses, with many users encouraging the engineer to consider options beyond leaving the profession altogether.
"My father has spent 40 years in Civil engineering. Try steering your career into academia or coaching if you don't want to step into fieldwork," one user wrote.
Another suggested, "Why is it too late? You could think about doing an MBA or M.Tech and switch to management or other roles."
A third user offered a different perspective, writing, "On the contrary, across multiple Premier engineering institutions across our country, many top-ranked individuals have opted for civil engineering. As long as AI continues to massacre roles and responsibilities in the IT streams, civil may emerge as the winner."
Another commenter added, "You should have tried goverment jobs after gaining some experience. Some vacancies are based on experience also."
The discussion has since grown into a broader conversation about career satisfaction, work-life balance and whether changing professions later in life is as difficult as many people believe.
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